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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27786451">A Song of Broken Bones and New Dreams</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thepracticalheartmom/pseuds/Thepracticalheartmom'>Thepracticalheartmom</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Domestic Violence, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Natasha Romanov, Protective Steve Rogers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 11:34:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,183</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27786451</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Thepracticalheartmom/pseuds/Thepracticalheartmom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When the reader finds herself in the hospital post abusive assault, Steve gets the phone call he never wants. Will Steve and Bucky get the chance to get their girl?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Reader, Natasha Romanov (Marvel) &amp; Reader, Steve Rogers/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>174</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Broken</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucindaAM/gifts">LucindaAM</a>, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrsxfredweasley/gifts">Mrsxfredweasley</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TW: Graphic Depictions of Domestic Violence and Injuries. Please continue with caution!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Your POV</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You bitch. I’m sure you’re out there fucking your way to the top” Brad shook my shoulders, shoving me into the wall. “Look at you, can’t even defend yourself” one punch to the face, a copper taste that had become all too familiar. “Like a weak little cunt like you could be an Avenger.” He spat in my face. “You’re worth nothing. You belong to me.” His hand at my throat. Spat. I closed my eyes. His hand tightened. I couldn’t even scream. “Who have you been fucking? Is it that pretty one? What‘s his name? Steve. Steve Rogers. I’ll bet it didn’t take you long to bend over for him huh?” I felt the floor leave from beneath my feet. Fight, come on you can do it, you took Barnes down last week. You’re an Avenger. Fight back. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I steeled my nerves. This man doesn’t love you. And you don’t love him. You are irrevocably in love with the two men you can never have. Why fight? This is all you deserve. I feel the impact of the concrete as I’m thrown to the floor. A boot stomps on my leg. I hear the sickening crunch of bone under boot before I register the pain. He’s going to kill me this time. At least it’ll all be over.  Another kick to my side, blinding pain. A kick to my head, black. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>——-</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Steve’s POV</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Avenger’s common room phone rings. That doesn’t happen often. I walk over, pick up the phone. “Rogers”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is this Steven Rogers?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, ma'am. Who’s calling?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This is Deborah French, Registered Nurse at St. Francis Hospital on eighth street.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How can I help you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re listed as the emergency contact for y/n l/n, she’s been brought in.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is she ok?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We need you to come down here as soon as possible.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I hung up the phone. My stomach in my throat. Why was I her contact? She has a boyfriend. Shouldn’t he be in that role? I knocked on Bucky’s door. He answered looking like he’d still been in bed. “Get dressed. We’ve gotta go over to the hospital. Y/n’s been brought in. It must be bad.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky’s expression dropped. He hurried to get dressed, throwing on a red Henley and jeans. “Let’s go”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I grabbed the keys to one of the SUVs. I hope we’ll need the third seat. Please be okay. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky slid into the driver’s seat. “I’m a better driver than you. You’re too stressed”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I nod and Bucky pulls out of the garage. The drive to the hospital seems like it takes forever, and maybe it does. Seventy years under the ice couldn’t have prepared me for the chill in my bones at the idea of something happening to her. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When had she worked her way into my heart? I had Bucky, but I wanted her too. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The hospital was bustling with activity. People in scrubs busy with their tasks. The ER was busy but it parted like the sea when Bucky and I entered. I walked up to the desk. “Yes ma'am, we’re here for y/n l/n. She was brought in earlier. Nurse French called me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Right this way, sir.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They led us through a maze of hallways to an elevator. We went up to the Avenger’s floor. Nothing could have prepared me for the scene I walked into. Her battered body looked so small and fragile in the hospital bed meant to hold even the largest of the team. I tried to put on a brave face. My captain face, Bucky’s hand found mine, a silent show of strength and comfort. There were more machines attached to her body that I could see skin. Nurses were still working to rinse and wipe the gore off of her skin. Her chest rose and fell with the mechanical sound of a ventilator. “What happened to her?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She was dumped out of a car in the ER parking lot. Her ID was in her pocket. It looks like she was beaten. Triage called PD, they will be by soon to collect evidence. You were her emergency contact.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is she gonna make it?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s too soon to tell.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>———</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Third Person POV </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha poked her head in the room. She’d taken you under her wing from the start. You’d quickly become like a sister to her. She’d had to kick Steve and Bucky out of the room for a while so that they’d go eat. They’d only agreed to go as far as the waiting room, but she’d take it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What did they do to you, little light? More importantly, who did this to you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She pushed the hair out of your face, trying not to cry. “Come back to me. There’s two boys here who’d tear the world down for you. They love you even if they’re too stupid to admit it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve poked his head back in the door. He’d rushed through eating, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he needed to be there. What if something happened?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve settled in the chair beside your bed. He watched the gentle rise and fall of your chest. His eyes were categorizing every bruise, every scratch, scrape, cut, and injury. Natasha looked on, she put a hand on Steve’s shoulder. “She’s strong. She’ll make it. She has to.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky stepped back into the room. His heart was breaking watching your vulnerable form on the bed. He wished that you would wake up. He just needed to see your eyes. Your leg was set in a cast, and your ribs were wrapped tightly. He sat at the end of your bed, the gurney shifting slightly under his weight. “Who’s staying? I don’t want her alone.” Bucky whispered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I wasn’t planning on leaving Buck.” Steve looked up, meeting his partner’s eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m going to go back to the compound and check on the team. See what I can do about figuring out who did this to her. The police came and collected evidence, we’ll get a copy of the DNA profile and figure out who did this. I promise.” Natasha kissed your forehead and stepped out of the room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>------</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>Bucky’s POV</b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I rubbed gentle circles into her foot as I tried to keep myself calm. Steve’s voice pulled me from my thoughts  “Has anyone called her boyfriend? He’ll probably want to know that she’s here.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>I stiffened. Why wasn’t he here? Surely he’d noticed her missing by now. Wouldn’t he be looking for her? “I haven’t called him. I don’t think I have his number.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll text Nat, she seems to know everyone.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t think he did this to her do you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s an Avenger. If this was her boyfriend don’t you think she would have been able to defend herself?”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Bruised and Confused</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Your POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was two days later when my eyes finally opened. I panicked as I felt something down my throat. It was too bright. Noises were too loud. I began to claw at my face. Gentle hands moved my hands from my face. I looked up and saw the two faces I’d thought I’d never see again. A nurse called for the doctor. I felt more hands touching me, everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve’s face appeared above me, his hand pushed back some of the hair in my face. “It’s alright doll, there’s a machine breathing for you. They’re going to give you something to help you relax while they work on helping you breathe on your own. Buck’s here too. Couldn’t leave our best girl all alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I wished that I could muster the strength to smile. I tried to lift my hand, Steve noticed the movement and took my hand. I felt a sting as the medication entered my veins and my eyes fluttered closed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When I woke up, the tubes covering my face had been replaced with a cannula and oxygen. I tried to take a deep breath. My throat hurt. I turned by head and saw Natasha sitting where Steve had been. “Nat?” I whispered, trying not to cough. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Natasha nearly jumped out of the seat. “Y/n, you’re awake! I wondered if I’d ever see those eyes again, sleepy head.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t get rid of me that easily.” I began to cough and Natasha put a hand on my chest. “Where’s Bucky and Steve?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Those two? Right outside in the waiting room. I made them go out and eat. They haven’t left in days. Aren’t sleeping and only eat when one of us brings them something and forces them to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve poked his head in to check on me. “Everything alright in here Nat?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He noticed that I was awake and entered the room the rest of the way. “Hey doll, its good to see those eyes. How are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like I did on that first mission when Clint blew up the building with me in it.” I tried to laugh but it came out more of a wince. Steve looked concerned and sat in a chair on the other side of the bed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you in pain? I can get the nurse.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's nothing I can’t handle. I’m sorry you’re having to do all of this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“None of that. You’re my teammate and my friend. I’ll always be there when you need me. Til the end of the line.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I reached over and squeezed Steve’s hand. “You’re not taking care of yourself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be alright doll.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I scowled at him and gave him what Bucky had dubbed my “mom face”. Steve smiled. “I’m glad you’re getting your spunk back. I’m gonna go get Bucky, he’ll want to know that you’re awake.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve exited the room and Bucky came back with him. It looked like he’d been crying. Bucky almost never cried. I tried to pat the bed, succeeding only in tapping it. I was still covered in far too many tubes and wires to move freely. “Come here Buck.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky sat near the edge of the bed, I reached out for his hand and he took it gingerly, tucking it against himself into his lap. “Hey darlin’, how are you feeling?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll be alright.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Y’n,” Natasha interrupted “Brad is here to see you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Panic set in, the blip of the heart rate monitor giving away my distress. I shook my head and tried to curl into myself. Logically, I knew that I was safe with three of my teammates in the room, but I didn’t want him anywhere near me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve and Bucky were there with gentle hands, Bucky placed one of my hands on his chest. “Doll, breathe with me. Darlin’ you have to breathe. Whatever is wrong we’ll fix it, but you have to talk to us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shook my head, tears began to cloud my vision and I felt nauseous. Natasha clued in to the reason I panicked before Steve and Bucky did and exited the room with a murderous look on her face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Bucky’s POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Watching her panic was the worst feeling. I still felt out of place at the hospital, but this was a different kind of helpless. I turned on the bed, still holding her hand. I moved it up to my chest. Taking a few deep breaths, I spoke quietly. “Doll, breathe with me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She continued to hyperventilate and cry. I couldn’t understand why she was all of a sudden so upset. She clung to my shirt like a lifeline. “Darlin’ you have to breathe. Whatever is wrong we’ll fix it, but you have to talk to us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve sat on her other side. Natasha stalked out, looking murderous. I figured I’d hear about whatever it was later. I could vaguely hear her telling Brad to leave, but I was too focused on the panicked woman in front of me to draw any other observations from their conversation. Natasha stepped back in the room. “Brad’s gone, y’n. I made him leave. I need to ask you a question. You don’t have to give me any details, but I need to know so I can help keep you safe. Who did this to you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My heart stopped. I waited, holding my breath for her answer. I really hoped that what Natasha was saying wasn’t true. Surely a man wouldn’t lay a hand on you. I’d kill the sorry son of a bitch </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You didn’t speak. Why weren’t you speaking? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Doll,” I whispered, “did Brad do this to you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Steve’s POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The pieces fell together in my head. How long had this been going on? How had I not noticed it? The new bruises during training. Injuries that weren’t from missions. That time that she flinched hard when Sam went to give her a high five. I took her hand gently. “Doll, we will protect you. I promise he’ll never lay a hand on you ever again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She was trembling. Shaking like a leaf as she clutched Bucky and I like a life line. Natasha sat next to Bucky, running a hand up and down your back. We didn’t need to be told. We knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Your POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I couldn’t bring myself to say it as the tears came down harder. I summoned all the strength and courage that I could and did the only thing that was scarier than facing down a HYDRA base. I nodded. I felt Natasha kiss the top of my head. “I’ll be back.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>With that, she stood and left the room. Bucky looked murderous, a barely contained rage that was different than the Winter Soldier I saw on missions. I looked up at Steve, he had his captain face on. He only slipped into that mode when he couldn’t deal with the emotions he was feeling. It was like a mask that protected him anytime he was going to lose his cool. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>Bucky’s POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I could feel the soldier in me trying to take over. I could kill this man with my bare hands and never lose a night of sleep. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Death is too good for him</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Winter spoke in my head. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I have a better idea.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I tried to push back the soldier. I needed to keep my cool. You needed me. I just hoped that after all of this, Steve and I could finally show you what it meant to be loved and cherished like you deserved. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I took another deep breath, maneuvered my way around the wires and held her to my chest. Steve followed suit, and soon, you were gently sandwiched between the who of us. “No one, I mean it, no one will ever hurt you again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>---------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Natasha’s POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I followed him from a distance. Stupid boy, he never even turned around. He thought he was so safe. I could kill him and he’d never even see it coming. That was too easy. Too clean. I needed to bring him in, let the team interrogate him, make sure he didn’t have any connections to anything we were working on. Then I could kill him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned down a street, heading towards a building that I’d never seen before. Come to think of it, even as close as I was to y/n, I’d never been to her apartment. I figured it was just because the compound had more creature comforts, but now I knew that it was because of him. I couldn’t help but see red. I slipped a widow bite off of my wrist. I smirked as I caught up to the bastard. This was going to hurt and I was going to enjoy it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Who knows, maybe y’n would enjoy giving him a taste of his own medicine before I put him down. There’s no way he’s making it out of this alive. If I don’t do it Bucky will. Hell, based on the look on Steve’s face, I think he’d bash his skull in too.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I shoved the widow bite into his neck, grinning as he fell out like a sack of potatoes. I cuffed his hands and shoved him into the trunk of the SUV waiting for me. A faceless agent who was none the wiser. I locked his hands to the bar in the back of the vehicle and slid into the front seat. “Back to the compound. You saw nothing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes ma’am”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----------</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. New Beginnings</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Your POV</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Steve and Bucky didn’t leave my side. Not the first three days and not the next three. Whether it was to eat, sleep or even use the restroom they took turns and I couldn’t lie to myself, it made me feel safe. Safe. I haven’t felt safe since the first time Brad decided to use me as a punching bag. At first, he just put me down. Criticized everything. From the way I dressed to the way I swept the floors, and when I said something about it I was “crazy” or “being dramatic”. God how I wished I’d listened to my gut feeling then. I should have left. But I was just too stupid. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey doll,” Bucky’s quiet voice shook me out of my thoughts. “Whatcha thinking about doll? You in your head again?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kinda, I just feel so stupid.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You aren’t stupid. You’re one of the smartest women I know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You smiled half-heartedly at Bucky. Steve was grabbing a shower in the family room down the hall and Bucky sat playing with your hair. He put a brush through it softly, detangling it from days of you laying on it. Then, to your surprise, he began to braid it. “Where did you learn how to braid?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I had a younger sister, Rebbecca. She used to like it braided when we were younger. I picked it up to help my ma out”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You smiled for the first time in a while, a real smile. “Thanks Buck, I appreciate it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The machines and tubes had disappeared over a couple of days, you could finally sit up and even walk with a little help. The doctor knocked and then stepped into the room. “How are you feeling today y/n?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A little better. It's nice not to have so many wires and tubes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Has your pain been controlled?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes sir.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, then as far as I’m concerned we can discharge you tomorrow to go home.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My face fell. I didn’t exactly have a home anymore unless you wanted to go back to my apartment with Brad. Steve stepped in shortly after the doctor left. My face was a little paler than it had been when he’d left, and panic was evident in my eyes. Bucky sat rubbing my shoulders soothingly, unsure of exactly what to do to help. Steve sat in the chair beside the bed. “You alright doll?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They’re discharging me tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s great news! We’ll take you back to the compound. Natasha went and got your stuff, it’s all set up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I looked up at them. Tears forming in my eyes. “You guys didn’t have to do that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re part of our team and our family. We’ll always take care of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the sun went down the events of the last week caught up to me. I finally cried. I cried for the pain I’d gone through, for the time that I’d spent in a relationship where I wasn’t loved or cared for, for the life that Id never have with these two men who I loved more that I should ever admit, for the freedom that I felt knowing that I would be safe as long as I was with my team. For the strength I was finding in their care. I knew that I had a long while before the physical and mental scars would fade, but I knew that with their help eventually I’d find myself again. That girl had to be in me somewhere. I just knew it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>My last thoughts before I fell asleep were of how different my life would look like if Steve and Bucky returned my feelings. A dream that I decided I just would never see come true. I didn’t deserve it and they didn’t deserve someone as broken as me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Third Person POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve and Bucky sat together watching you sleep. Steve held your hand and Bucky laid a hand on Steve’s knee. “We’ve got to tell her, Steve. She deserves to know how we feel. We don’t have to rush her, but I can’t stand the idea that she almost died and we never told her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know, Buck, but I don’t know that its fair to put that on her after everything she’s been through.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“She needs to know Steve. It doesn’t change how I feel about you. But she would fit so well with both of us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That would depend on her wanting to be with both of us Buck, is that a risk you’re ready to take?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky shook his head. “I don’t know Steve, but I do know that we’ve got to tell her. It’ll come out eventually if we don’t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll tell her once things settle down. I don’t want to put pressure on her here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-------</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Steve’s POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky’s head is heavy. But the sound of his soft snores make me smile. I don’t think he’s slept since we got the call about y/n. I shift slightly, hoping I won’t wake him up. He shift a little but promptly begins to snore again and I relax slightly. I look over to her sleeping form. She still looks so small in the bed. So fragile. I promised to protect her. Look what good I did at that. How did I not know? How did I not see it? I find my way deep into my own thoughts again. Every bruise, every injury, every flinch at a shout or a sudden movement. She almost always sparred with Natasha or Wanda, never with any of the men larger than her if she could help it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she slept. She was taking sleeping medicine to help keep nightmares at bay while she healed. She hated it, but after some convincing she’d agreed to try them. One of the two of us would stay awake and watch over her while she slept. She said it made her feel safe. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Will she feel safe in the compound? Tony’d helped rearrange apartments so that she could have the one between ours and Natasha’s. Would she need help getting around still? The beds at the compound were softer than what she’d probably be used to, but they were lower to the ground than the gurney. It didn’t matter, Bucky and I weren’t planning to go out on any kind of mission for a while. She needs us more than the world does for now. The world can wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-----</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Third Person POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning a nurse came in with a cheery “Good morning! Are you ready to go home?” You nodded and she handed you a clipboard to sign. You signed and then she handed it to Steve to sign. “Now you’ll need to take it easy. You shouldn’t go back to training until that leg is healed and your ribs aren’t sore.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You nodded and tried to stifle a laugh as the eyes nearly bugged out of Bucky’s head at the idea of you going back to training. You’d assumed that you’d go back to active status as soon as you were well enough. It never dawned on you that Steve and Bucky might object to that. Being an Avenger was the only thing that made you feel powerful and strong. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The nurse brought in a wheelchair which you wished you could forego, but you knew that the boys would insist. That or one of them would carry you out which seemed even more embarrassing. “Are you ready to go sweetheart?” Bucky asked. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s get out of here.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You got it doll.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve pushed your chair. Bucky walked quietly beside you, checking corners and watching your surroundings. He took your safety seriously, and although he knew that Nat had your ex safely in custody, he didn’t want to be complacent. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You stood and walked to the door of the SUV they’d brought with them. Bucky lifted you effortlessly into the backseat, buckling you in before heading around the other side and sliding in the backseat with you. He buckled himself into the middle, pressing up against you and holding you close. Steve drove carefully on the way back to the compound, careful to do his best to avoid any bumps in the road after the first one nearly had you in tears. Bucky had pulled you closer then, trying to keep the car from jostling you anymore than was unavoidable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He pulled into the compound and Natasha was waiting for you. She helped you out of the car and handed you a pair of crutches. “Hey little light, welcome home.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You hobbled along the hallways, ignoring the looks from the other agents. They could think what they wanted. You were glad to have a new home to go to. Natasha held the elevator for you, and FRIDAY welcomed you home. You exited on the Avenger’s personal floor and Natasha opened the door to your apartment.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Steve and Bucky are next door to your left and I’m on the other side. If you need anything just knock on the wall alright?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>What do you think? I love reading your comments! I was so nervous to put this one out there, but your comments have made me glad that I did!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Crime and Punishment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Natasha, Bucky, and Steve have a "talk" with Brad</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Natasha’s POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I stepped into the room, the hair on the back of my neck stood on end with the chill. I stared at the man in front of me tied to a metal chair. His arms, tied to the back of the chair, strained when he saw me. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?” he spat out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh, it isn’t about what I want. If it was about what I want you’d already be dead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His eyes went wide, fear crossing his features. He was noticeably silent as I stalked closer, more like a cat than the spider I shared a name with. “You see, if it was up to me, after what you did to my friend, I’d have you flown to Siberia and left to die in the snow. Watch you from afar as you froze to death. You see, first, you shiver, and then your skin feels like it's on fire. Your feet and hands go first. Eventually, you’ll stop shivering. Your mind will go and you’ll forget things. Your organs stop working, one by one. Then, your heart stops, by then well, it's too late.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re nothing but talk. Just another woman in a man’s place.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>I flung a knife from a hidden place in my leggings. It nicked his ear and embedded itself in the wall. “A woman in a man’s place.” I chuckled softly as I stalked over and retrieved by knife, lazily checking the serrated edge. “Believe me, there is nothing, and I do mean nothing, that you can do that I can’t do better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Brad rolled his eyes, but the sweat dripping from his face in the cool room spoke volumes. His face paled as he was tipped backward in his chair. “You see, you’re not making it out of here alive. It’s just a matter of who does it. A faceless agent who could care less, me, the two super soldiers who love her more than you ever could have, or her. So just think about that. Enjoy your last days. Well, or last hours. We’ll see how it goes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Third Person POV</b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve took a deep breath as he entered his apartment. Even knowing you were in the world’s most secure building didn’t help the fact that his anxiety was at an all-time high. Bucky put his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “She’s fine. She’s right next door, listen, you can hear her breathing through the wall.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve paused and listened. Bucky was right, he could hear your breath and your heart if he was just still enough to listen. He still wanted to go to you, but he knew that after ten days of their constant hovering that you’d probably want some time to yourself. Bucky massaged the knots out of Steve’s shoulders. “Come lay down. I don’t think you’d slept in the last two or three days.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t sleep knowing that prick is just a few floors down. Maybe I should go pay him a visit.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, punk, then let’s go pay him a visit shall we?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky’s metal fist clenched and unclenched. He was out for blood, and this time, well, this time he didn’t need the Winter Soldier to help him at all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two soldiers made their way down to the basement. They passed Natasha on the way down, with a nod and a silent conversation, they knew that she would head upstairs to keep an eye on you. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“F.R.I.D.A.Y.?” Steve spoke softly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, sir,” She replied, “What can I do for you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Delete all the footage from this room after we’re done, please. And alert us if y/n needs anything or if her vitals show any distress.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The cold metal handle didn’t immediately give under Steve’s hand. He leaned forward, and the ocular scanner activated, F.R.I.D.A.Y. unlocked the door. Steve stepped through, squaring his shoulders. Bucky stepped close behind him, always watching Steve’s back. He knew that the man in the room couldn’t be that much of a threat to them, but he’d always rather be safe than sorry when it came to Steve. They’d lost each other once and he refused to do it again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steve walked forward and sat across the table from Brad, taking in the smaller man. Bucky didn’t sit, opting instead to lean against the wall and glare holes in Brad’s head. Steve leaned forward slightly. “So, what makes you think you have the right to lay hands on a woman? Because you see, where I’m from, laying hands on a woman makes you a coward. And well, you see Bucky and me, we’ve never liked cowards. Not when I was small, and certainly not now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Funny, if you don’t like cowards, I can’t see why you’d like y/n. She never put up a fight. Weak as a kitten. At least she was an okay lay.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky took a step forward at this. His metal hand clenched tight enough that the plates began to creak slightly. He put his flesh hand on Steve’s shoulder and took a deep breath. They didn’t come here to kill him. Not yet. They wanted to give you the chance to make a decision first. He’d taken too much from you and you deserved at least that. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky leaned across the table, and clenched his hand around the man’s throat, cutting off his air supply. “If you ever, and I mean ever, open your mouth to disrespect her again, I won’t hesitate to end you, do you understand?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bucky dropped the man. Brad’s chest heaved as his lungs worked overtime bringing in oxygen. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go, Steve. We can kill him another day.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I'd love to know what you think? Should I continue this fic?</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>What do you think? How do you think Bucky and Steve will react to the news? I love reading your comments and seeing your kudos!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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